When you ship from Vietnam to Canada by air, your parcel goes through a sudden change from a tropical climate to a cold one. This difference can cause condensation inside the carton, softening the cardboard so it dents easily when knocked. Here’s how to prevent it, what to do when you receive the parcel and how to work with the carrier to protect your rights.
Why do air shipments get damp and dented?
Many customers ask why a box that was sturdy when shipped arrives in Canada soft, damp at the corners and dented. There are two basic physical reasons:
- Condensation (“sweating”): At cruising altitude, the temperature in the cargo hold drops sharply. When the plane lands at a Canadian airport in the cold season, the sudden temperature difference between the inside and outside of a box containing naturally moist goods (such as rattan, dried food or heavy fabric) creates moisture that settles on the inside of the carton.
- Weaker cardboard: Damp cardboard loses up to 50% of its compression strength. During loading and moving at transit warehouses, boxes stacked on top of each other easily dent or tear at the corners.
What to do as soon as you receive a damp or dented parcel in Canada
When the driver brings the parcel to your home in Canada, if you notice the box is wet, soft, torn or dented, take these steps right away:
1. Inspect it and take photos
Don’t rush to open the box. Use your phone to photograph all six sides, focusing on wet, torn or dented areas. Make sure the tracking label is clearly visible as evidence.
2. Note the condition with the driver
If the driver asks you to sign, write a clear note about the outer condition next to your signature, such as “Damaged box” or “Wet carton”. This is very important legal evidence that the goods were damaged before you opened them.
3. Film yourself opening the parcel
Record continuously from the moment you cut the tape until you have taken out every item. Check whether the moisture from the box has soaked into the products and whether anything is deformed or no longer works.
How to request support and compensation
Once you have all the photos and the unboxing video, contact your carrier right away to report the problem. At Soleil Transportation, the process usually works like this:
- Response time: Report the problem within 24 to 48 hours of receiving the parcel. Reporting too long after signing makes it harder to determine the cause.
- Documents required: Your order (or booking) number, an uncut unboxing video, detailed photos of the affected products and an estimate of the actual loss.
- Insurance policy: Shipments from Vietnam to Canada (7–14 days on average) normally include basic packing in a carton. However, insurance against damage caused by natural events or weather is not usually included automatically. We can always help you buy extra cargo insurance when shipping high-value goods, so you are compensated for 100% of the declared value if they are dented or damaged in transit.
How to pack to prevent damp and dents
To minimise damage from weather and temperature changes during the flight, packing in Vietnam is decisive:
- Use waterproof plastic bags: Before putting items in the carton, wrap them in thick plastic bags or sealed zip bags. This keeps them completely separate from the box if it gets wet.
- Add desiccant: For moisture-sensitive items such as electronics, books and papers, and dried food, add a few desiccant packs inside the plastic bags.
- Reinforce the corners: Tape all seams and corners of the box to keep damp air out. For heavy or fragile parcels, plastic or wooden corner protectors are well worth adding.
If you are preparing gifts, personal items or business goods to ship from Vietnam to Canada, take care with the packing from the start. For any questions about packing rules or shipping rates (from just $16/kg by air, or from $8.50 CAD per parcel for small ePacket parcels), visit the Soleil Transportation office at 2446 Cawthra Road, B1U8, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5A 3K6. You can also call +1 888-998-5199 or email info@soleiltransportation.com and our staff will check your order status and help you prepare your customs documents quickly.
